Random but important lesson

When the carriage came to a stop, Lucian said he was going to browse different types of weaponry. It wasn't something aristocrats normally did, since they usually attended auctions or visited high-end stores reserved for those of higher status.

There was something about walking around and looking at weapons in common shops. It was also something people from the Mercenary Guild did. That's why it was worth gaining knowledge about their equipment and the information surrounding it.

With him was a tall man with blond hair and green eyes, dressed similarly to the woman who had accompanied Aiden earlier.

Tomas said he had to take care of some business, without explaining what it was related to.

Vivienne took Aiden by the hand — he didn't resist — and they headed out to the marketplace. With them was the woman from earlier that morning, the same one who had been with Aiden. She had black hair, blue eyes, and wore a semi-formal outfit that allowed for movement. The man with them was Walter.

Vivienne turned to Aiden:

"We've got a little time before my meeting. Is there anything you feel like doing?"

Aiden hadn't been in the city before, but he wanted to see the street stalls — the ones people often stopped by:

"I want to see those stands with sweets and the stuff people go look at."

"Those are called stalls. Say it with me: 'st-alls'," Vivienne laughed.

"St-alls," Aiden repeated, syllable by syllable, without much trouble.

"Now say it all together: 'stalls.'"

Vivienne was well aware of his learning difficulties. She was one of the four people who knew about them — or at least she thought she was one of the three who did. One of them was his governess, who taught him the basics he needed before entering school.

Vivienne knew about it just like the governess did.

Another person was Cedric — Aiden's father — who also knew one of the two main reasons behind it. Just like Sebas, the head butler, who knew about the "White Crow," the substance given to Aiden when he was still a newborn.

The rest of the people around him naturally noticed his developmental delays and were aware of one of the reasons, but they didn't spend enough time with him to truly understand how serious his difficulties could be.

"Stalls," Aiden said again, this time in one go — and he was really proud of himself.

Vivienne was left speechless. She hadn't expected that.

She smiled and said:

"Well then, I won't say 'no' to you today and I'll buy you everything you want — or at least I wish I could say that."

"I can't actually say that. But you can ask for one thing, and I won't say no. Or… you can choose a surprise."

Aiden smiled and thought for a moment:

"I want a surprise."

Vivienne paused for a second, then gave him a small lesson:

"Listen carefully now, Aiden. I gave you two options, but I didn't say you had to choose right away. In fact, one of those options affects something that's going to happen soon. We're about to walk through the marketplace, and you could've picked something for yourself and I would've bought it for you — no matter what it was or how much it cost."

She glanced around and pointed with her eyes at the various stalls with all kinds of goods.

"And you didn't have to choose anything until we got home. If you didn't pick anything along the way, you could've told me then that you wanted a surprise. But if you found something you liked earlier, you could've just asked for it, and I might've agreed. That way you wouldn't have to use up your surprise option."

Aiden listened, trying to remember everything she was saying — despite his learning challenges and the fact that he didn't enjoy studying. But he could listen. He liked listening to the little lessons Vivienne, Cedric, or other adults gave him.

"If you found something and I refused to buy it for you, that's when you could've used the 'buy me this' choice."

Vivienne smiled as she looked into his eyes, which showed curiosity and full attention.

"It doesn't really matter if you want something that's within your reach. Because even though you might have the means to get it — whether it's something physical or not — you won't be able to if you lack knowledge, planning, or foresight."

Aiden smiled with understanding and said happily:

"Then I won't choose anything. I'll tell you later what I want."

Vivienne smiled too, but this time her smile wasn't the same as before — it was clever and sly, yet it still suited her:

"Too late — you've already chosen. You can't change your mind now."